Departing from Pyongyang the day before on a special train, he visited China for the first time in six years and eight months, receiving a welcome from the"fifth-ranking official."

Kim Jong-un's fifth visit to China marks his multilateral diplomatic debut, raising questions about whether he will meet with Woo Won-shik.

(Beijing/Seoul=Yonhap News) Correspondent Jeong Seong-jo, Reporters Kwon Sook-hee and Lee Eun-jung = North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing on the 2nd for the first time in six years and eight months to attend China's"Victory Day Military Parade." On this, his"fifth visit to China," Chairman Kim was accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae.

Citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' press office, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim's special train arrived in Beijing, China, at around 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. Korean time). China's Xinhua News Agency also reported Kim's arrival in Beijing.

Earlier, Yonhap News Agency and foreign media outlets reported news of Chairman Kim's visit to China one after another as soon as the train carrying him entered Beijing Station, and four and five hours later, respectively, North Korea and China officially confirmed this through their state-run media.

As soon as Chairman Kim got off the train flying the North Korean flag, he was greeted by the Chinese side.

Key officials, including Cai Qi, Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China (member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and officially ranked 5th), who heads China's security line, Wang Yi, Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (also serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs), and Yin Yong, Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, came out to greet him and walked together on the red carpet laid out at Beijing Station.

Chairman Kim met with Chinese officials and said,"I am pleased to visit the People's Republic of China again after six years." He also expressed gratitude for the hospitality of the Party, government, and people, including President Xi Jinping.

The article did not mention whether his wife, Ri Sol-ju, his daughter Ju-ae, or his younger sister, Vice Department Director Kim Yo-jong, were accompanying him, but photos released by the news agency showed his daughter Ju-ae following behind Chairman Kim.

Another photo previously released by the news agency shows Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and a person believed to be Kim Song-nam, director of the Workers' Party's International Department, riding in the office car of Chairman Kim's personal train.

This is Chairman Kim's fifth visit to China since he assumed power following the death of his father, National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il, in December 2011. This visit marks his first in six years and eight months, since his most recent visit in January 2019.

At the invitation of the Chinese president, he is scheduled to attend the ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (Victory Day) at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on the 3rd, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and others.

This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia have met in one place. Furthermore, Chairman Kim's attendance at this event marks his debut on the multilateral, rather than bilateral, diplomatic stage.

With attention focused on whether Chairman Kim will meet with Chairman Xi or President Putin, TASS reported that Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov believes Chairman Kim and President Putin will continue to talk at a"bilateral level."

Xi Jinping held talks with various leaders, including President Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshyan, on the same day, and there have been no reports yet regarding his meeting with Chairman Kim.

If the leaders of North Korea, China, and Russia proceed to the first-ever trilateral meeting, the structure of"North Korea, China, and Russia vs. South Korea, the US, and Japan" is expected to emerge.

However, the likelihood of this is considered low. The National Intelligence Service reportedly believes that a North Korea-China-Russia summit is unlikely.

This year's military parade, held for the first time in six years since 2019, is expected to showcase China's cutting-edge weapons to the world, including the United States, and to demonstrate its power as the"leader" of anti-Western forces.

Meanwhile, South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, second in line for protocol, arrived in Beijing that afternoon to attend the military parade. Regarding the possibility of a meeting with Chairman Kim, he stated,"I'm not sure if such an opportunity will arise. I'll have to go there to find out," adding,"If we do meet, we will discuss peace issues on the Korean Peninsula."